PURPOSEDISASTER RISK REDUCTION IS OF PRIME IMPORTANCE IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH, WHERE SEVERAL FORMS OF VULNERABILITY COEXIST. POLICY AND OFFICIAL PROGRAMMES, HOWEVER, RARELY RESPOND TO THE NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF CITIZENS AND LOCAL LEADERS LIVING IN THESE SETTLEMENTS. EVEN THOUGH THESE AGENTS CONSTANTLY ATTEMPT TO REDUCE RISKS IN THEIR OWN WAY, WE KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THEIR ACTIVITIES, MOTIVATIONS AND EFFECTIVE IMPACT ON RISK REDUCTION. HERE WE SEEK TO CONCEPTUALIZE BOTTOM-UP INITIATIVES TO BETTER GRASP THEIR ORIGINS, LIMITATIONS AND SUCCESS.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACHTHROUGH A FOUR-YEAR ACTION-RESEARCH PROJECT IN COLOMBIA, CUBA AND CHILE, WE THEORIZE ABOUT THE PRODUCTION OF CHANGE BY LOCAL AGENTS. THROUGH DETAILED CASE STUDIES WE EXPLORED THE ACTIVISM OF 17 LOCAL LEADERS. THROUGH NARRATIVE ANALYSIS WE STUDIED THEIR MOTIVATIONS AND EXPLANATIONS. FINALLY, BY DOCUMENTING 22 INITIATIVES, WE REVEALED EFFECTIVE CHANGES IN SPACE.FINDINGSIN THE FACE OF RISK AND DISASTERS, RESIDENTS AND LEADERS IN INFORMAL SETTINGS ENGAGED IN SYMBOLIC, PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL SPACES OF INTERACTION. THEIR ACTIONS WERE GUIDED BY TRUST, EMOTIONS, TIME CYCLES AND ACTIVISM. LOCAL AGENCY WAS JUSTIFIED BY NARRATIVES ABOUT RISK AND CLIMATE CHANGE THAT DIFFER FROM THOSE OF AUTHORITIES AND SCHOLARS.RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONSTHERE IS STILL LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF BOTTOM-UP INITIATIVES IN INFORMAL SETTINGS. IT IS CRUCIAL TO CONCEPTUALIZE THEIR ORIGINS, LIMITATIONS AND SUCCESS. THE FOCUS ON THREE SPECIFIC COUNTRIES NECESSITATES FURTHER RESEARCH FOR BROADER APPLICABILITY AND UNDERSTANDING.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONSA BETTER COMPREHENSION OF BOTTOM-UP ACTIONS IS CRUCIAL FOR INFORMING POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES AIMED AT REDUCING RISK IN INFORMAL SETTINGS. STAKEHOLDERS MUST RECOGNIZE THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ROLES OF THESE ACTIONS FOR MORE IMPACTFUL CLIMATE ACTION.

FOR DECADES, SOCIAL SCIENTISTS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REVEAL THE REAL CAUSES BEHIND DISASTERS. WHILE SOME SCHOLARS HAVE RECENTLY FOCUSED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON PEOPLE S VULNERABILITIES, THE MAJORITY RECOGNIZE THAT DISASTERS RESULT FROM A COMBINATION OF PEOPLE S CHOICES AND HAZARDS. AGENCIES AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAVE OFTEN DOWNPLAYED THE POLITICAL COMPONENT OF DISASTERS (PARTICULARLY THOSE LINKED TO GLOBAL WARMING), PREFERRING TO FOCUS ON THE TECHNICAL AND MANAGERIAL ASPECTS OF CLIMATE RESPONSE. THIS STUDY EXPLORES HOW ACTIVISTS IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS, ACADEMICS, AND GOVERNMENTS IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH EXPLAIN CLIMATE-RELATED RISK AND DISASTERS. THE STUDY IS BASED ON INTERVIEWS, WORKSHOPS, AND GROUP MEETINGS IN HAITI, CUBA, CHILE, AND COLOMBIA, AND ON A FOUR-YEAR ANALYSIS OF IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES WHERE COMMUNITY LEADERS WERE GIVEN FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO CREATE RISK REDUCTION INITIATIVES. RESULTS SHOW THAT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT MISMATCHES BETWEEN UNDERSTANDINGS OF CLIMATE EFFECTS BY PEOPLE IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS AND DECISION-MAKERS. BESIDES, WHEREAS SOME SCHOLARS TEND TO FOCUS ON AN ANTHROPOCENTRIC VIEW OF RISK AND CONSIDER CLIMATE A COMPONENT OF THE HAZARD, RESIDENTS PERCEIVE IT AS A FACTOR OF THEIR VULNERABILITY AND A THREAT TO THEIR TERRITORIES AND ECOSYSTEMS. THESE RESULTS CHALLENGE SOME POPULAR DEFINITIONS OF CLIMATE RISK AND SUGGEST THAT MODERN EPISTEMOLOGIES OF DISASTERS ARE INAPPROPRIATE TO SET UP EFFECTIVE RISK REDUCTION IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH. UNDERSTANDING LOCAL NARRATIVES OF RISK IS CRUCIAL FOR THE INTEGRATION OF CLIMATE AND SOCIAL AGENDAS IN THE REGION.

CONCEPCIÓN, CHILE, ES LA SEGUNDA ÁREA METROPOLITANA MÁS RELEVANTE DEL PAÍS, DENTRO DE LA CUAL SE UBICA EL PARQUE NACIONAL NONGUÉN. EN ESE ESPACIO SE LOCALIZAN ASENTAMIENTOS HUMANOS CERCA DEL CURSO DE AGUA QUE ATRAVIESA EL VALLE. LOS DESASTRES A ESCALA LOCAL SON UNA PREOCUPACIÓN DE DICHAS COMUNIDADES. COMO CONSECUENCIA DEL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO, LA BIODIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE NONGUÉN ESTÁ AMENAZADA POR RIESGOS DE INUNDACIONES, REMOCIÓN DE MASAS E INCENDIOS FORESTALES. ESTOS ÚLTIMOS HAN TENIDO IMPORTANTES INCREMENTOS EN EL CENTRO SUR DE CHILE EN LOS ÚLTIMOS AÑOS. EN ESTA INVESTIGACIÓN SE PROPONE INTERPRETAR LOS ALCANCES DE LA GOBERNANZA LOCAL DE RIESGO DE DESASTRES DESDE LA VISIÓN DE LÍDERES LOCALES DE NONGUÉN. PARA ELLO, SE APLICARON ENTREVISTAS SEMIESTRUCTURADAS A 18 DIRIGENTES COMUNITARIOS. LOS RESULTADOS MUESTRAN LAS PERCEPCIONES COMUNITARIAS SOBRE EL DESASTRE Y LAS CONDICIONES ESPACIALES DEL TERRITORIO PARA LA GOBERNANZA DE RIESGOS DE DESASTRES A ESCALA LOCAL, ESPECÍFICAMENTE FRENTE AL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO. SE CONCLUYE QUE EN NONGUÉN LA PARTICIPACIÓN Y EL EMPODERAMIENTO DE LAS COMUNIDADES ES CLAVE PARA PROMOVER UNA GOBERNANZA LOCAL QUE OBSERVE LOS RIESGOS FRENTE AL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO. SE TRATA DE UN PROBLEMA POLÍTICO Y TÉCNICO, QUE TIENDE A PROYECTARSE DE MODO RECURRENTE Y PROBLEMÁTICO EN ÁREAS METROPOLITANAS DE PAÍSES EN VÍAS DE DESARROLLO.

LA FORMACIÓN DE ARQUITECTOS HOY SE CARACTERIZA POR UNA DESCONEXIÓN RADICAL ENTREB CONTEXTO ACADÉMICO Y OFICIO. UN GRUPO DE DOCENTES DE LA ESCUELA DE ARQUITECTURA DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DEL BÍO-BÍO GESTARON EL TALLER DE BARRIO, UNA INICIATIVA DE INNOVACIÓN PEDAGÓGICA CUYO OBJETIVO CENTRAL ES DEVOLVER SENTIDO PRÁCTICO Y DE SERVICIO A LA FORMACIÓN DE ARQUITECTOS. ESTO, A TRAVÉS DE LA IMPLEMENTACIÓN DE UNA ESTRATEGIA DE VINCULACIÓN MULTIDIRECCIONAL CON EL MEDIO BASADA EN EL PRINCIPIO DE ALIANZA TRIPARTITA. ESTO PERMITE CONECTAR CAPACIDADES Y NECESIDADES ACADÉMICAS CON CAPACIDADES Y NECESIDADES INSTITUCIONALES Y SOCIALES. COMO RESULTADO, LA ACADEMIA LOGRA ENTRAR EN UN PROCESO DE DIÁLOGO HORIZONTAL CON LA ADMINISTRACIÓN PÚBLICA Y LA SOCIEDAD CIVIL. LA METODOLOGÍA SE INSERTA LA TRADICIÓN DE TALLERES VERTICALES. SE OFRECE UNA RECAPITULACIÓN HISTÓRICA DE LA ESCUELA Y SE INTRODUCE LA NOCIÓN DE ALIANZA TRIPARTITA CONTEXTUALIZANDO SU IMPLEMENTACIÓN EN EL CONTEXTO DEL TALLER DE BARRIO.